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Royal visit highlights growing relationship
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DUTCH King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima’s ongoing state visit to China is expected to further cement the Sino-Dutch relations and contribute to comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
The Dutch royals come at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. In March 2014, Xi paid a state visit to the Netherlands, the first ever made by a Chinese president to the western European country since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations in 1972. During the visit, the two countries announced a comprehensive partnership that stresses openness and pragmatism.
During the five-day tour between October 25 and tomorrow, the king and queen are accompanied by Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, Agriculture Minister Sharon Dijksma, and State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport Martin van Rijn.
More than 135 companies are also part of the high-ranking delegation under the Parallel Economic Mission, a broad-based economic mission organized by the Dutch government that runs parallel to the state visit.
“The active participation of companies shows a lot of interest on the Dutch side in the visit,” said Anneke Adema, consul general of the Netherlands in Shanghai.
“It’s a dynamic visit with a full program of events and a lot of contracts and MoUs are expected to be signed.”
It marks the first state visit to China since Willem-Alexander was sworn in as the Dutch king in 2013 but the royal couple is no stranger to China. The king accompanied his parents Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus in 1999 for the first ever Dutch state visit to China. Willem-Alexander and Máxima attended the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
The king and queen are visiting Shanghai yesterday and today, where a number of seminars and networking events are held.
“The focus of the visit to Shanghai is sustainable urban development, agriculture and health, which are three areas where there is already a lot of ongoing cooperation between Chinese and Dutch entrepreneurs and authorities,” Anneke said.
The king and queen’s itinerary features a visit to NERCPA, a modern greenhouse horticulture project on Shanghai’s Chongming Island.
Being constructed according to Dutch standards and with intensive involvement of Dutch companies in its design and installation, the project underscores joint efforts between China and the Netherlands to promote the use of modern and sustainable technologies in horticulture field.
The consul general said the royal couple are informed about Dutch innovative technologies applied in the project to realize sustainability and food safety. There is a seminar in the greenhouse where Dutch and Chinese entrepreneurs discuss possibilities for further cooperation in horticulture area, Anneke said.
Sino-Dutch cooperation
Events are also organized in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone with the participation of Dutch companies that have already operated in the zone. Besides, a seminar on China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative has the presence of Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Rotterdam. Rotterdam’s long-standing relationship with Shanghai dates back to the year 1979, when the European port city became one of the earliest sister cities of Shanghai.
“These kinds of activities make people aware of ongoing Sino-Dutch cooperation,” Anneke said.
“We are a quite active partner here. Approximately 500 Dutch companies are active here including the well known big companies but also many small and medium sized companies have found their way to China. The Netherlands is China’s third largest source of foreign direct investment in the European Union. By the end of June, Dutch companies have invested in 690 projects in Shanghai, official data showed. Total contracted projects are valued at US$5.4 billion, accounting for 1.8 percent of the city’s total.
Dutch companies have been actively engaged in a broad range of sectors including agriculture, healthcare, sustainable building, creative architecture and fashion and design.
Dutch participation can also be seen at the forefront of China’s economic reform and opening up. There are approximately 500 Dutch enterprises in Shanghai and the surrounding areas, including 70 Dutch companies in the pilot Free Trade Zone, a testing ground for some of China’s most aggressive reforms.
She said business barriers in the zone are getting lower and lower for Dutch companies and other foreign companies, which facilitates cooperation and attracts foreign investors.
As a world-leading exporter of agricultural products, the Netherlands possesses leading-edge agro-food technology and know-how, Anneke said. Living in a low-lying country where only about 50 percent of the land exceeds 1 meter above the sea level, the Dutch are renowned for their expertise in integrated water management, she added.
The consul general said sustainability is one of key philosophies rippling through the Dutch economy, including the fashion industry. Eco-friendly fabrics and sustainable polyester yarns are being made out of wastes including plastic bottles. Dutch companies have also teamed up with Chinese partners to make sustainable fashion more visible for the public.
“It’s important to create awareness amongst consumers about sustainability and reuse of materials, and it’s also important to create awareness among new generations of designers,” Anneke said.
The consul said although China and the Netherlands differ in many aspects but it is the common straits of entrepreneurial spirit and curiosity of their people that bring the two countries to work together.
Moreover, cooperation produces mutual benefits as the two countries are facing the same challenges in terms of air and water quality and healthcare amid the aging population, she added.
“Cooperation and exchange of experiences can be helpful against the background of what we have in common,” said Anneke.
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